Marketing Fantasy Novels in 2 Parts: Algorithm & Action

Bella Rose Emmorey

book editor, rogue behaviorist, digital marketer, writer, brand builder, plant aunt, and cheese enthusiast.

Fantasy is popular! Readers love that shit, which means you’re already in luck for marketing fantasy novels. It’s easier when you know there’s a very large, active fanbase actively seeking books like yours.
But that doesn’t mean you can be lazy about it.
Fantasy offers its own set of challenges, particularly in the nuances of "fantasy". There’s $ romantasy$ , epic fantasy, cozy fantasy, dark fantasy, urban, and many others. Being able to show readers that your fantasy novel is the right one they’ve been looking for can be done in a couple specific ways.
First is the passive method: allowing readers to find your book.
The second is the active method: what you probably know of as marketing fantasy novels—the activities you’ll do to get the word out.
Here they are, in all their shining glory.
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Marketing Fantasy Novels Through Algorithm HackingAmazon is one of the most influential platforms for book discovery, especially for indie authors and genres like fantasy. Understanding how the Amazon algorithm works can be a game-changer because it allows you to do certain actions once and readers will continuously find your novel.
So while I called it "passive", it does have upfront actions that should then be on auto-pilot.
Amazon’s algorithm considers various factors when recommending books to readers as well as on the results page for searches, including a bunch of stuff you, as the author, can control.
Here are key ways to "hack" the Amazon algorithm to market your fantasy novel.
1. Keywords and categoriesKeywords and categories determine where your book appears in searches and recommendations. Choosing keywords that reflect popular $ fantasy tropes$  (like "epic fantasy," "dark magic," "dragons", "enemies to lovers") helps your book surface in relevant searches. Like so:
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Take note for these keywords that they’re in the titles and some of the books listed don’t have too many reviews, meaning they’re fresh and still ranking at the top. But you don’t need keywords in your title (though it’s highly effective when $ writing to market$ ). You can also use them in your book’s description and it will still work.
For categories, Amazon allows authors to choose two initially, but you can add up to 10 through Author Central by contacting support. Select categories that make sense for your novel. Just because you want to rank in a certain category doesn’t mean your novel fits it.
The more accurate you are here, the better chances of your book showing up in those categories anyway. Categories look a lot like fantasy subgenres, but can extend into tropes and other nuances, like the ones highlighted below:
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Tip: Research other fantasy books similar to yours, noting the categories and keywords they use. Tools like $ Publisher Rocket$  can help identify high-traffic keywords and less competitive categories.
2. Get early reviewsReviews play a major role in Amazon’s ranking algorithm. More positive reviews signal credibility and make your book more attractive to new readers. Aim to gather as many genuine reviews as possible soon after launch by offering review copies to early readers or by growing a launch team. 
As you can see, there’s the option to filter books by the ratings. So if your book has poor ratings right away, readers will choose to opt-out of even seeing yours in the listing, no matter how many keywords and categories you get right.
Which, of course, is why you should take the time to $ write a quality fantasy book$  from the start (the best marketing hack, honestly).
3. Optimize your book’s listingYour book’s product page on Amazon should make readers want to hit "Buy." A compelling blurb, an eye-catching cover that fits fantasy conventions, and engaging "Look Inside" (or "Read Sample") content are crucial. Remember, the more conversions you get (people who view your page and buy), the more Amazon’s algorithm will favor your book.
Take a look at other ranking books in your similar categories. How do they have the description formatted? What details do they show? What does their cover look like? 
A big part of marketing fantasy novels is not reinventing the wheel. Just find what’s working and tailor it to fit your book.
4. Capitalize on launch day momentumAmazon rewards books that show high sales velocity during the first week of launch. Coordinating preorders, email blasts, and social media campaigns to drive launch-day sales can increase your book’s ranking in relevant categories, making it more visible to new readers. 
Of course, this has more to do with actionable steps you can take when marketing fantasy novels, which we’re about to get into.
Tip: Set up a preorder period and promote it actively. Encourage readers to buy on launch day and consider running a short promotional price to encourage a higher volume of early sales. This is what can earn you that "Amazon Bestseller" or "New Release" banner that boosts your book’s visibility.
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Taking Action to Market Fantasy NovelsWhile algorithm optimization brings readers to your book, taking action in targeted ways helps bring your book to readers. 
Here are effective promotional tactics for fantasy authors.
1. Social Media, duhSocial media platforms are powerful for fantasy marketing, especially visually-driven ones like Instagram and TikTok. By creating a distinct author brand and sharing content that reflects your book’s world and characters, you can build a community of engaged readers.
But just posting a picture of your book with a caption to "get it now" won’t work.
Create content that brings your fantasy world to life by showing off character art, maps, lore snippets, and even video teasers work well. Take a look at some top fantasy authors on TikTok to get a sense for what’s working with their videos.
Here are a few you can research:
﻿$ Ben Alderson$ ﻿
﻿$ Marshall J. Moore$ ﻿
﻿$ Megan Gilbert$ ﻿
﻿$ Mara Caitlin$ ﻿
2. Utilize Book Influencers and ReviewersFantasy book influencers have a large following of genre enthusiasts. Reach out to them for reviews, shoutouts, or features. Many influencers are open to reviewing books, doing live readings, or even hosting giveaways, which can drive interest in your book.
There are also some who require payment to promote your book, which can be highly worth it. Just make sure to ask them for some engagement stats.
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3. Run AdsRunning ads on Amazon and Facebook can help you reach readers who have shown interest in similar books. For instance, Amazon allows you to target your ads to readers who have browsed or purchased similar books, which can be effective in such a specific genre.
This is where you’ll want to keep track of your categories and keywords.
Tip: Set a modest budget and test different ad formats. For Amazon ads, test keywords related to fantasy subgenres, such as "epic fantasy romance" or "dark fantasy magic." Monitor click-through rates and conversion rates to see what resonates. And if you have a social media post/video that pops off, boost it! It’s literally proof that your ad will work.
4. Virtual Book Launch or Reading EventA virtual book launch can be a fun and engaging way to promote your book. Consider hosting a live reading session or Q&A where readers can learn about your book and your writing process. This also allows you to connect directly with readers, answer questions, and create a memorable launch experience.
This one is much easier if you already have an existing audience through social, YouTube, or an email list, as then you’ll actually have questions to answer and people to read to.
5. Look into Promotions SitesMany promotional websites cater to readers looking for discounted or free fantasy books, including BookBub, Freebooksy, and Bargain Booksy. Running a promotion on these sites can increase your visibility, especially when combined with temporary price drops.
Some of these sites also cost money and have certain qualifications before you’re able to get on them. But that’s a good thing! You want to show up in legitimate spaces.
6. Network in Online Fantasy CommunitiesOnline communities, especially fantasy-focused groups on Reddit, Discord, and even Facebook, are full of readers actively seeking new books. By joining these communities, you can organically introduce your book while participating in discussions around the genre.
Just make sure to avoid spamming these groups. Most of them have rules about self-promotion and you can get kicked out for just dropping your book in them.
A solid way to utilize these groups is to get your launch team to do the recommending for you. Create a list of groups for them to join, and ask that they organically recommend your book when people ask for "books like whatever-yours-is-like". The key with this is to make it natural. If someone is asking for a vampire hunter book and your team is recommending your cozy fantasy, it’ll send up red flags.
Give your team a specific prompt, though, don’t leave it up to them.
For example, you can tell them to go to a specific group and search "epic fantasy" in the search bar (or whatever your genre is) and click on recent posts to comment on, like this post:
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Marketing fantasy novels should require both methods. If you don’t set your book up well to bring readers to it, then you’re losing out on opportunity even if you send readers there with actionable tactics. Find the avenue that starts churning out sales and stick to it!